PUBLIC PROCUREMENT EXPERT CHARGES PRACTITIONERS ON RECORD KEEPING FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
BY GABRIEL OKECHUKWU
Participants at the just concluded Capacity Building on Public Procurement for Directors and senior staff of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, have described the training as impactful and revealing.
One of the participants Mr. Agi Osimele in an interview with Radio Nigeria in Port Harcourt Rivers State, said the training made him understand that everyone was involved in procurement process, while Mr. Edopese Enyina Admitted that he understood the need for due process in the award of contracts.
One of the facilitators, Dr. Sam Ibrahim who emphasized on the importance of record keeping, told participants that Procurement documents have retention period of upto ten years at the completion of the project.
Dr. Ibrahim who insisted that procurement should be transparent and open for competition, explained that the need to pass through due process was to prevent Abuse in contract awards.
According to him, there are seven steps to a successful procurement process, which include; planning, budgetary and provision, advertisement and bidding, Evaluation , Certificate of No Objection, Contract Award, Execution and Monitoring as well as Close-out and archiving.
He described the steps as audit trail from preparation to conclusion.
